Need Windows for Work - Will Boot Camp Suffice?

I'm craving a macbook but I'm just a little worried that things won't work 100%. I understand that it is able to run windows XP natively, but would I encounter any problems with peripherals?

The reason I ask is because I need a laptop for work that will be able to connect to all kinds of Audio/Video/Control equipment, which requires serial, usb, and ethernet connections (and unfortunately, also requires windows xp). I'm assuming that a MacBook running windows would have no problems, right? I have a USB to Serial adapter that I absolutely need to work.

As far as I'm concerned, running windows on a mac is like running windows on a PC. You're good to go. Bootcamp means you can run XP (or vista) natively, not under emulation (like parallels). Go to apple.com/bootcamp for more information...they make it super easy.

Well they don't have serial ports but you can get one of those usb to serial adapters...I haven't tried to connect serial cables to mine, but everything has worked in windows BETTER so far than on my PC (both my MacBook, and now my MacBook Pro)

Well iam using parrallels 3.0 with Windows XP pro and it is perfect. Iam working as a IT-techie and it is working 100%. Got my old HP Laserjet 5L hooked on to my macbook pro ( using a IBM par-usb convertor). But offcouse if you install Windows under bootcamp it will run faster but you dont get the fast switch between windows and osX. I stated with bootcamp and it was like a 100% windows labtop. ( MBP 2.2Ghz SR)

Well iam using parrallels 3.0 with Windows XP pro and it is perfect. Iam working as a IT-techie and it is working 100%. Got my old HP Laserjet 5L hooked on to my macbook pro ( using a IBM par-usb convertor). But offcouse if you install Windows under bootcamp it will run faster but you dont get the fast switch between windows and osX. I stated with bootcamp and it was like a 100% windows labtop. ( MBP 2.2Ghz SR)

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In parrallels do usb devices work as they would if windows was run natively? (I have a USB-serial adapter I need to use in windows too) So would Windows running under parrallels be able to communicate with that?

I wouldn't use emulation software at all if you are connecting peripherals. I was using Parallel's Desktop and had a few Kernal Panics when I plugged in my FireWire Mixer (OSX tried to use it and so did Parallel's).

Where as, if you run Windows via Boot Camp, it'll operate exactly like it would on any PC.

USB connections, ethernet etc. It'll all work fine.

If your USB to Serial adapter works fine on XP, then it'll work exactly the same on Boot Camp.

In parrallels do usb devices work as they would if windows was run natively? (I have a USB-serial adapter I need to use in windows too) So would Windows running under parrallels be able to communicate with that?

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Parallels works great with devices connected by USB - but occasionally there is a fart and it is possible to get a kernal panic out of it.

I can get most things working fine with Parallels, but there is still some things I have problems with. It is mainly the fact that Parallels right away tries to access a device that is plugged in by USB or Firewire and if OSX was dealing with that device then you could get a big crash.

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